Mini USB Programmer

1. The ZIF socket does not have a "notch" (or dot) to match the PIC module. Is the ZIP socket lever in the "dot" position? Should the PIC be installed with the dot next to the lever, using the socket spaces closest to the lever?

2. USB drivers from the CD-ROM for the board? Is this the main CD-ROM that came with the kit? Otherwise, where do the USB drivers come from. (I have not tried it yet, pending a response to the first question.)

On the bottom of page 3-2 of your book (revised edition) you mention a possible disk for USB drivers (for the USB programmer).

Also, the kit comes with a metal plate that rather obviously attaches to the bottom of the prototype board, although I cannot find it mentioned in the documentation. Is there a particular purpose for this metal plate?

The book was authored with the assumption that the reader would be using the Microchip PICKit2. It sounds like you are using the kit offered by the League which is using a clone of the Microchip PICKit2. (I believe the metal plate you mention is for mounting the prototyping board as you mention.) It also sounds like your computer didn't automatically install the drivers for the USB interface. On the Canakit site: http://www.canakit.com/Media/Manuals/UK1301.pdf the manual for the programmer mentions a procedure for loading in the PICKit2 software for stand alone operation (don't confuse the use of PICKit2 software for PICKit 2 hardware). It is a good idea to load that program anyway incase there are future troubles with dumping the OSCCAL value when programming a PIC. Perhaps when you install the PICKit2 software the installation will update the required driver.